So this past Sunday, pre-Super Bowl, John and I headed to a large national department store (rhymes with Caseys) to start "our registry."
Now, I've been looking forward to this part. As I looked around my kitchen recently, I realized that most of the stuff in it came from three places.
1. There's the stuff I got for super cheap at the garage sale a former coworker of my father held after the death of her mother (yep, I'm using a dead woman's pans and '70s pyrex).
2. There are the things that my parents have given me in the vein of "So, do you want our old pots/dishes/containers that refrigerated sauce came in? Or should we give them away?" Most of this stuff is from THEIR wedding (that was 1971, if you're interested).
3. And then there are my outlet mall purchases. I got four dinner plates and four salad plates for $1 apiece at the Pfaltzgraff outlet mall store in 1999. And they're only slightly irregular. You wouldn't really notice the blemishes at all, really, unless you looked at them. And those nifty caps you put on wine after it's open? Only $1.59 at the outlet mall!!
So, I'm totally looking forward to getting stuff for free that is actually new - and not slightly damaged. What I wasn't prepared for were the decisions.
So, 113 choices for formal China. Yikes. I wanted something plain, but not too plain. And an accent color, but not a color that would clash with anything. I want these plates to look right at Christmas AND Easter. I think I was driving John crazy. And then the silverware. He liked modern, I liked traditional. We finally found a set we agreed upon, only to realize it was $90 for a 5-piece set. $90?? For forks and knives (not silver)? So then we had to find one we liked that was a little less expensive.
We tried to find a few other things, but we're not enamored with any of the dishes or bedding we found. I did register for a panini maker AND an immersion blender. Gotta get some fun stuff!
All in all, we spent less than 2 hours but we will need to add more. And although I'm excited about the process, I can't help but feeling somewhat guilty. I mean, I will be grateful for anything anyone gives us. It seems so petty to argue about $127 serving platters and $20 glasses. But I guess I should just be happy that we are this lucky!
Anybody else have similar feelings over registering for gifts? Anyone have suggestions of where else we should register?
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I happened to be shopping with my boyfriend at the time that you were registering. Although I am not getting married I can add one thing. We learned a lot from taking a cooking class. I would make sure it is a real "hands on" class. We have found that are ideas of cooking utensils have varied since taking one of these classes. You also find great knives and what to do and not to do with them. you will save time and much cabinet space by doing so. I would try the classes at our large international market that looks like a jungle (just incase you cant publish names. They have a knife class and great instructors that are more than happy to help and its worth every penny. This will help you decide before you have a lot of cookwear or supplies that you dont acutally use.
ReplyDeleteKatie...When it comes to registering, I too am terrified. (I will be getting married in December, so I still have some time to calm my nerves.) I think that the most important thing it to register for items that fall into some categories: The Wants, The Upgrades, and The Must Haves. The Wants should be outrageous items that you don't really anticipate receiving, but that are just really fun to think about having (like the $400 rhymes with Ison vacuum that I so desparately WANT). The Upgrades are those things that you register for that you already have, but that could reall use replacing...like your '70s Pyrex. And The Must Haves are those things that you absolutely need and don't already have. Additionally, it would be my advice to you to register at a couple of different locations and to register in all price points. And in the end, don't stress...because people will get you whatever they want...like the large "Faith Mountain" that my sister received for her wedding this past June! Hang in there!
ReplyDeleteP.S. Your clock is wrong. It says that I'm posting at 6:30 in the morning...It's 9:30!
ReplyDeleteOooh, so the blog was in Pacific Time. Alas, it's only the blog. I wish I were in warm SoCal, but I am here in Cincinnati in the snow with everyone else. I think I've corrected the problem. We'll see when I post again!
ReplyDelete